


Memories from our Journeys

by Cerih



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Adventure, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-17
Updated: 2013-08-28
Packaged: 2017-12-23 19:24:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 11,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/930185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerih/pseuds/Cerih
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of short moments from Rose's travels with the Doctor. Pairings vary. Largely fluff. On going project.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chips

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I still don't own Doctor Who. Must try harder.
> 
> Author's note: These are a collection of random scenes that pop into my head. They are in no particular order, chronological or otherwise, and will vary between 9th and the 10th Doctor. I will identify which Doctor is in which chapter. Comments are always much appreciated. Cross-post from Fanfiction.net with minor edits.
> 
> Rose/9th Doctor

Chips

Having returned from the end of the Earth, Rose and the Doctor headed straight for the nearest fish and chip shop. They both got big portions of chips and sat down on the high seats by the window. For a while they simply watched the crowds of people passing by and ate in silence. Then Rose turned to the Doctor and grinned.

"This is very impressive as first dates go, you know." Her eyes had a mischievous sparkle as she regarded him.

"First date? I don't know about first date, but I do have some dates." The Doctor smiled widely and to Rose's amusement, produced a packet of dates from his coat pocket.

"You are intolerable, you are!" Rose prodded his arm but could not stop her grin from widening.

"I know!" He announced and looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

They ate some more chips, still chuckling, until the Doctor's expression grew serious.

"Rose?" He started and suddenly looked uncertain. "Do you want to go home now? I mean, stop travelling with me?" For a moment Rose through she saw something akin to desperation in his eyes.

"No way", she said smiling, "I don't think you'll ever get rid of me now."

"Great, all sorted then!" The Doctor let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

Once again, their grins were equally wide as they polished off the rest of the chips and headed back to the TARDIS and towards the next adventure.


	2. Teasing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Still don't own Doctor Who.
> 
> Features 9th Doctor, Rose and Jack

Teasing

After the Doctor had found his moves with 'In the Mood', they danced deep into the night. Rose with the Doctor, Rose with Jack and Jack with the Doctor. When they were finally too tired to dance anymore, they settled on the seats to rest. The Doctor was sprawled on one end and Rose was leaning on him, with her legs on Jack's lap. Jack had his left hand on Rose's calf and he was slowly tracing circles on her bare skin.

"Well, I could certainly do with more nights like this." Jack stretched luxuriously and let his right arm rest on the Doctor's shoulder. Rose simply smiled, utterly exhausted from all the dancing.

"I bet this isn't the way nights usually end with you, eh Jack?" The Doctor shot a knowing look at the other man.

"Hey, there is still time! The night is young and in any case, we are in a time machine." Jack showed the Doctor one of his suggestive, cocky grins that caused the Time Lord to roll his eyes.

Rose bent her head back until she could look at the Doctor and grinned. "I think Jack likes you."

"You are underestimating your charm, Rose Tyler. I happen to like both of you." Almost impossibly, Jack's grin got even more suggestive and Rose blushed.

"Fifty-first century", the Doctor muttered, "I remember your type. You couldn't get enough of.." He glanced at Rose. "…anyone."

"Are you tempted?" Jack directed his charming grin towards the Doctor.

Rose closed her eyes, still smiling, and turned her face to rest against the Doctor's battered leather jacket. She slowly drifted to sleep as her companions continued their flirtatious banter next to her.


	3. Duvet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. *sigh*
> 
> Features Rose and 10th Doctor.

Duvet

Rose woke up slowly and smiled at the sound of the TARDIS engine in flight. She stretched in her bed and pulled the duvet closer. She smiled again, still half asleep, as the warmth of the duvet wrapped around her. She truly loved her duvet.

When the Doctor had seen how much she liked her duvet at home, he had immediately taken her shopping. She had been overwhelmed by the range of choices, but the Doctor had picked one that he claimed to be the supreme togness. He was right too, her duvet was perfect. It was thick and surprisingly light despite its considerable size. Sleeping underneath it, she was wrapped in a cocoon of warmth and happy thoughts. As a consequence, she loved sleeping in the TARDIS.

Rose heard quiet footsteps in the corridor and then the familiar figure of the Doctor emerged to lean against the doorframe of her bedroom. She smiled at him and he grinned back, brushing back that wonderfully wild hair of his.

"We are about to land in a new time and place and here you are, still in bed!" He exclaimed, although there was no annoyance in his tone.

"I can't help it that I love sleeping under this duvet. Besides, humans clearly need more sleep than Time Lords do." Rose stroked the duvet, making no move to get up.

"These are sad times, when you prefer the duvet over my company." The Doctor shook his head, trying and failing to hide his smile.

"Hey, you bought it for me. How would I not love it?"

Her words made the Doctor's smile widen, becoming that dazzling grin that made her heart skip a beat. They simple looked at one another for a while, until the Doctor broke out of his reverie as the engine sounds grew louder.

"Ah, we're landing. So are you going to come and explore with me, or do I have to brave the unknown by myself, while you go back to sleep?" As he spoke, he turned to head back to the control room, throwing a quizzing grin over his shoulder at her.

Rose grinned widely as she tossed the duvet aside and leaped out of her bed, ready for another adventure with her Doctor.


	4. Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who is still not mine.
> 
> Takes place after the Christmas Invasion, but before New Earth. Features Rose, 10th Doctor and Jack indirectly.

Jack

The Doctor was pacing around the control room, occasionally adjusting a lever or checking the instruments. The TARDIS was humming steadily as she crossed time and space. After some time, the Doctor became aware that he had not seen Rose for a while and with a last glance at the console, he wandered off to find her. The TARDIS was a maze of corridors and rooms and Rose loved exploring all the mysteries the space ship had to offer. On this occasion, the Doctor was both surprised and distressed to find Rose in Jack's old room, stroking the captain's great coat with tears rolling down her face.

"I forgot Jack", she whispered between sobs, "how could I ever forget Jack?" She looked at him, her eyes imploring him to ease her sorrow. The Doctor crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed, pulling her into a hug. She cried for a while and then looked up at him.

"What happened to him?"

"The Daleks got him", the Doctor replied quietly, "I'm sorry Rose, I truly am, but there was nothing I could do to save him." He stroked her hair as fresh tears overflowed her eyes.

"But we just left him there, all alone in that horrible Game Station." Rose was horrified, partly because they had abandoned their companion and partly because she had only now thought to ask about the Captain's fate.

"I was dying, Rose", the Doctor explained, "and I had to get us into the TARDIS and on our way back to Earth before I started to regenerate. The TARDIS is the safest place to undergo the process and it also meant that I knew you would get back home should something go wrong. I'm afraid that I too forgot about him." He frowned, clearly troubled by his actions.

"Can't we do something now? Even if it's just going back to get his body and giving him a proper burial?" Rose pleaded, still clutching the army coat she had grown so fond of.

The Doctor was in the cusp of saying no, but seeing the desperation in Rose's eyes made the word die on his lips. He considered the pros and cons of it for a few moments and then nodded. Rose smiled weakly and got up. She laid the coat carefully on the bed and then held out her hand to the Doctor. He took with a sad smile and together they headed back to the control room.

######

The grinding noise of the TARDIS engine filled the small room as the space ship materialised in a storage room. Rose slowly stepped out, hesitant now that they were back in the Game Station. Quick look around and they found they had landed on floor 498. They made their way up cautiously, both afraid of what they might find. On floor 499 they found the barricade and the bodies of those who had been brave enough to make one last stand against the Daleks.

"He made it to floor 500 before…" The Doctor trailed off, as if afraid to say it out loud here, where their nightmare had unfolded.

They continued forward, ascending to the top floor, knowing that any moment now they might stumble upon their companion's body. But they searched all the corridors and eventually ended up in the main control room without finding Jack.

"I don't understand", the Doctor frowned, "there was only one route he could have taken. But he is not here. How could he have vanished like that?" Rose said nothing, staring at the piles of ash that used to be Daleks. The memories of what had happened in the room were beginning to come back to her.

"I bring life", she whispered, "could it be possible?" She turned to the Doctor with wild hope in her eyes and saw that he had already made the same connection.

"Rose", the Doctor walked to her and took her hand, "it is extremely unlikely. The power of the Time Vortex is immeasurable and very unpredictable, but that you were able to channel that energy precisely enough to bring one person back from the dead is all but impossible. And there is no guarantee they would stay alive for more than a fraction of a second." It hurt him to see the despair in her eyes. "I'm sorry Rose, but I think it is time to leave."

Rose nodded desolately and stared at the ash piles on the floor. The Doctor got enough power back into the Game Station to run a quick scan confirming that they were the only living beings in the space station and then he set up an emergency beacon to attract the attention of the people down on the Earth so that the bodies could be returned to their families. Once that was done, he gently steered Rose back to the TARDIS and considered where he should take her to make her feel better. He eventually decided that apple grass just might do the trick and set the co-ordinates for the New Earth. Behind him, Rose sat in the seats, still sad but being consoled by the tine flicker of hope that she hid within her heart.


	5. Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine.
> 
> Features Rose with the 9th Doctor

Sweet

Rose was pacing around the TARDIS control room. The Doctor was immersed in the puzzling world of buttons, leavers, dials and the occasional mallet, tapping the controls and peering at the screens. Rose paced on, checking her pockets and under the seats. When she started going through the pockets of the Doctor's faithful leather jacket, he looked up and frowned.

"What on earth you doing, Rose?" He asked, clearly confused.

"I'm just, you know", she looked slightly embarrassed, "looking for some snacks." She was aware that on occasions she considered dieting, but had said nothing to the Doctor. In fact, she was pretty sure he would consider such undertaking silly and utterly pointless, a very human thing to do. Appearances did not seem to matter much to the Time Lord. In any case, she wanted something to eat.

"I think there is some bread in the kitchen. You could make toast." The Doctor nodded towards the corridor leading, among other places, to the kitchen.

"Umm, I'm not hungry", she said, still awkward, "I just feel like some munchies. Surely you keep some chocolate around here somewhere?" Rose checked between the seat cushions as she spoke.

"Oh", the Doctor's face suddenly brightened up, "I know just the place!" He announced as he set the ship on a new course. Rose grinned, looking forward to the prospect of chocolate.

######

They stepped out of the TARDIS into a corridor of white marble and blue glass. The corridor went on seemingly forever and dotted along it were all sorts of flashing signs. Rose looked at the Doctor in confusion and he flashed his trade mark grin at her.

"The intergalactic mall, this is", he said, "should be your paradise really." He ducked Rose's playful punch at the last minute.

"Oi! Have I once asked to be taken to space mall, huh?" Rose glared at him in mock anger.

"Hmm, you've got a point there." The Doctor conceded and Rose smiled triumphantly.

"But if sweets are what you wish for, we've come to the right place." He said, pointing at the sign in front of them. Rose turned to where he was pointing and saw a sign shaped like a candy in a traditional white and red striped wrapper.

"The intergalactic sweet shop." He said, almost proudly, as Rose squealed in delight and headed for the door.

Inside, Rose encountered an enormous shop space filled with confectionaries of all kinds. There were lollipops, pick 'n mix, whole section of chocolate, strange looking drinks, exotic fruit and nuts with glazes and without and even an ice cream counter. Rose turned on the spot, not knowing where to start.

"Hey, look at these", the Doctor exclaimed from a nearby shelf, "jelly babies! I used to love these, back in the day. Couldn't get enough of them. These babies have helped me save the world time and time again." He looked at the sweets with obvious nostalgia.

Rose was rather surprised to see jelly babies in a sweet shop somewhere in space, but a closer inspection revealed that the whole section seemed to be devoted to 'Earth classics'. There were jelly beans as well as babies, strawberry bonbons, liquorice pipes, lemon sherbets, mint humbugs and some proper English fudge. She made a mental note to get a bit of everything, but first she wanted to explore the rest of the shop. Next to her, the Doctor was patting his pockets.

"Money, money", he muttered, "I'm sure I got some change the last time I was here. Ha, found it!" He declared, clearly pleased with himself, and produced a metal pipe with holes on it at irregular intervals. He waved it at the alien behind the cash register and then pulled Rose to a different display.

"Here, try this." He pointed at small jars of liquid and she picked one up at random. It said 'Goopberry Wiggle' on it and she raised a questioning eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Swallow it in one go, trust me." The Doctor said, pulling the lid off the jar she had chosen. She did as she was told and downed the sweet syrupy liquid in one go. For a moment she stood there, obviously taking in the strange taste of what she presumed was a 'goopberry'. Then her eyes widened.

"It's, it's", she started, obviously shocked, "it's wiggling in my stomach!" She exclaimed.

"Yup!" Said the Doctor and grinned.

"That is so strange", Rose said, shaking her head. "I'm so tempted to take one home and feed it to Mickey just to see the look on his face." They exchanged a mischievous grin at the thought of Mickey's horror when the drink started moving inside him.

"These are great too", the Doctor said, already pulling Rose to a different part of the shop. They came to halt before a jar of what looked like those flying saucers filled with fruit sherbet powder. The Doctor picked several different colours out and offered them to Rose.

"You are going to love these", he assured her as she picked a yellow sweet at random. She popped it in her mouth and enjoyed the tartness of the sherbet on her tongue. Then she gasped and looked around her.

"Everything is yellow!" She said in awe.

"Did you ever think there could be sweets out there that make you see everything tinted with one colour?" The Doctor asked, clearly pleased with Rose's reactions to his recommendations. Rose smiled and then proceeded to look around the shop with everything being first green, then blue, then purple and finally silver.

"Can I pick now?" She asked as she returned to the Doctor. She was already looking around speculatively.

"Go right ahead", he said, "the sweet shop is your oyster."

Rose led him around the shop and finally stopped in front of boxes of colourful pastilles. "These?" She muttered to herself and then nodded. "These." She offered them to the Doctor.

"Good choice", he smiled. "You go first."

Rose opened the box and popped a pink pastille in her mouth. The reaction was immediate as she started to twist and turn, giggling. "It tickles!" she managed while laughing. She was trying to ward off the invisible tickles when she accidentally swallowed the sweet. The tickling immediately stopped, allowing her to catch her breath.

"Your go", she said and offered the box to the Doctor. He chose with his eyes closed and put it in his mouth without looking. Clearly the effect was not pleasant, as he turned a shade of green and quickly swallowed. "Hangover" he admitted and gave the box back to Rose.

She laughed as she chose the next one. She swayed suddenly and had to grab hold of the Doctor's arm to stay upright. "Vertigo", she muttered, hanging on for dear life.

The Doctor picked another sweet and stared bobbing up and down. "Zero gravity", he said, looking rather like he was enjoying the feeling. He sucked on the sweet until it dissolved and his movement stilled with a sigh.

Rose took a red sweet and again her eyes widened. This time it was a different kind of shock, as waves of warmth pulsed through her body and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She moaned almost involuntarily and then swallowed the sweet, blushing furiously. The Doctor looked intrigued.

"So", Rose had to clear her throat once or twice to remember how to speak, "what on earth are these?" The Doctor remained intrigued at her reaction, but then turned his attention to the box of sweets.

"They are designed to copy sensations. They don't control your emotions, just create chemical reactions simulating different feelings." He explained and then he continued, looking more serious. "There is only one thing they cannot replicate."

"What's that then?" Rose asked as she saw a flash of something new in the Doctor's eyes.

"Love."


	6. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I still don't own Doctor Who.
> 
> Features Rose, briefly with the 9th Doctor, but mostly the 10th.

Dreams

Rose was back in the Game Station and the Doctor was holding her hand. He leaned in as if in slow motion and brushed his lips gently against hers. She could still remember the electric sensation that travelled through her as they kissed and that made her shiver. She moved into the kiss, despite the painful sensation of the Time Vortex leaving her and transferring to the Doctor.

Then she was in New New York, in the hospital ward, and again she and the Doctor were kissing. This time it was the new Doctor and her body was controlled by Cassandra, but Rose was still aware of everything that was happening. She felt her hands touch the Doctor's hair as she kissed him passionately. He tasted good, just like she had thought.

Then they were in the TARDIS, still kissing. This time it was just the two of them and the kissing was so much better without distractions. They had started out gently, but as their passion grew, the kisses became more urgent. The Doctor was stroking the inside of her mouth with his tongue in a way that made her knees week. He had one hand on her cheek, gently cupping it, while his other hand was wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her close. Her hands were around his neck and she was finally running her fingers through his wild hair.

They paused for a breath and rested their foreheads together as they looked deep into one another's eyes. He was nipping her lower lip with his teeth and she could not help a delighted gasp escaping her lips. It seemed to please him for he moved her until she was leaning against the console, using his body to pin her there. She continued stroking his hair and neck as they panted in unison. All she could see, hear, smell and feel was the Doctor and she was loving every moment of it. He had a hungry look in his eyes as he leaned down to capture her lips once more…

In two different rooms within the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose bolted suddenly up from their beds, having been torn away from a very vivid dream.


	7. Awkwardness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I still don't own Doctor Who. *sigh*
> 
> Features Rose and the 10th Doctor. This, unusually, is continuation of the previous chapter.

Awkwardness

Rose was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees. She was fully dressed, but strangely reluctant to leave her bedroom. The reason for this? She would have to face the Doctor. Rose sighed and brushed her fingers through her hair, trying to figure out what to do.

She had not slept since she had woken from that dream of kissing the Doctor. And what kissing it had been, her lips had tingled as she sat gasping on her bed. Even now she remembered vividly what the Doctor's lips had felt on hers and how he tasted like dark, sweet spices. She ached to run her fingers through his hair again and feel his arms around her.

This is really not helping, she thought to herself. How on earth was she going to face the Doctor after a dream like this? Even the thought of him made her blush furiously. Should he ever find out what kind of things she had been dreaming, it would surely be mortifying. She would have to pretend everything was fine, although given how he could read her like an open book that would be a difficult thing to achieve.

Rose kept panicking and panicking, until finally her growling stomach drove her out of her bedroom. In any case, the longer she delayed seeing him, the more questions she would face about her absence.

######

In the meanwhile, the Doctor was in the control room, burrowed into the machinery underneath the floor grating. He had taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, giving the TARDIS some absent-minded maintenance. He had been there all morning, pretending to be busy just in case Rose made an appearance. While he was ostensibly adjusting the vortex filters, his mind kept returning to the dream from the night before.

He had always been proud of his self-control, but there had been no sign of any control when he had jolted awake. His desires had been running wild and had Rose been anywhere near him as he tried to remember how to breathe, he would surely have continued kissing her there and then, consequences be damned.

If only he could stop thinking about how well her body had fitted against his and how her ragged breathing had only coaxed him on. She had tasted just as good as he had always imagined and he had loved feeling her fingers in his hair. She was so beautiful and…

The Doctor shook his head, interrupting his train of thought. Enough of this now. Rose could emerge any moment and he did not want to moon over her like a lovesick teenager. Better to stay down here being nice to his ship than to try meeting her eyes.

As he moved on to the next part of the engine, he heard tentative footsteps approaching the section of the flooring he had left open. He looked up to see Rose through the grating and saw her wander into the view, doing her best to look nonchalant.

"Hello", she said, avoiding his eyes.

"Hi", he said, looking at her feet.

"Hello", she started again and then caught herself. She muttered something that to the Doctor sounded like "not going there again". She cleared her throat and then continued. "I was going to make so toast. Do you want some toast?"

"Toast would be nice", the Doctor agreed, still feeling very awkward, "thanks."

Rose met his eyes briefly and then blushed at the same moment as he did. She turned quickly and all but ran for the kitchen.

######

Brilliant, that was acting normal, was it? Rose berated herself as she put some bread in the toaster. The only thing that would have been more awkward was if she had just blurted out that she had dreamed of them kissing. No doubt that would have gone down well, particularly with someone who simply did not do 'domestic'.

Although, she mused as she buttered the warm bread, the Doctor was acting a bit funny too. When their eyes had met, she could have sworn he had also blushed. Surely she had only imagined that. In any case, there was no way he could possibly know about the dream, was there? She shook her head and headed back to the control room, carrying two plates of toast.

She arrived back to the console just as the Doctor emerged from under the flooring and he gave her an awkward smile. She moved to hand him the toast, when suddenly the air was filled with the shrill ringing of the TARDIS telephone. The Doctor raised his eyebrows, but moved to answer the phone.

"Hello?" He started and then motioned Rose to pick up the second receiver so she could listen to the conversation. To her surprise, it was Mickey calling about a London school getting suspiciously good results all of a sudden. He felt it needed investigating and the Doctor seemed to agree.

After he ended the conversation, the Doctor turned to Rose with that wild, wonderful grin on his face. "We're going back to school!" He announced as she grinned back, all awkwardness forgotten.


	8. The Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who still not mine. But I'm working on it.
> 
> Features Rose with the 10th Doctor

The Ball

Rose took a deep breath, closed her eyes and stepped sideways to the mirror. She cracked open one eye to peer at her reflection and then opened both eyes. She inspected herself critically, smiling slowly, and decided that she rather liked the end result. Her hair had been cut shorter, making her look more mature, and the simple make up she had on added to the effect. The dress she was wearing was stunning and its iridescent hues seemed to change before her eyes. The material felt like silk, although she knew it was something completely different. Intelligent fabric, the Doctor had called it, and he was right. The material had settled on her instantly, knowing where to hug her curves and where to flow out in a way that most flattered her figure. To add to the effect, she was wearing silver opera gloves reaching to her elbows and a simple diamond necklace. Taking a deep breath, she left her room to meet the Doctor.

When the Doctor had asked if she wanted to attend a huge ball, she had been delighted. There was no pressing need to go there, but rather the Doctor wanted to take her somewhere special for an evening. No life and death situations or aliens trying to kill them, just beautiful dresses, music and dancing. Apparently the ball was in honour of centenary of a peace treaty of some sorts, something to do with the Shadow Proclamation Rose seemed to remember. She had spent many fun hours rummaging through the enormous wardrobes in the TARDIS, looking for a suitable dress. They had even stopped in a spa planet to get her hair done. She had beamed at his thoughtfulness and that seemed to please the Doctor a great deal. He had headed to his room to change at the same time as she had, but no doubt he had been ready and waiting for her for some time now.

"So, what do you think?" She asked when she stepped into the control room, suddenly nervous. The Doctor, who was wearing an elegant black suit with white shirt and a bow tie, turned to look at her. As his eyes took in everything, he smiled and his eyes glowed with warmth and happiness. Rose blushed and unable to hold his gaze, looked at her feet. In a couple of steps the Doctor was in front of her and gently lifted her chin so that their eyes met once more.

"Rose Tyler, you are beautiful", he simply said, still smiling. Rose seemed to get lost in his soulful brown eyes and she loved feeling the warmth radiating from him. It felt like they stood there forever, just looking at each other, but then the Doctor shifted as if to move closer and Rose was suddenly certain that he was going to kiss her. The blush in her cheeks deepened and she half closed her eyes, when the TARDIS landed with a shudder and the spell was broken. The Doctor turned to the controls, looking oddly disappointed, and checked the monitors.

"We are there", he confirmed, tapping the monitor. "Shall we?" He offered his arm to her and she stepped closer to rest her arm on his. He led her to the door and together they stepped through.

They had landed in a large corridor leading to a set of gilded double doors. The doors were open and through them Rose could see a glittering throng of revellers. Laughter and strange music echoed along the corridor. The Doctor grinned at Rose and she nervously allowed herself to be led to the ball.

Rose felt utterly overwhelmed as she tried to take everything around her in. There must have been hundreds of people mingling in the room and most of them were not human. She tried not to stare at all the tentacles, eye stalks and spines, but she could not help herself. The dresses were exquisite and she was suddenly glad she had taken so much trouble over her own appearance. She felt intimidated enough without having to worry about not being suitably dressed for the occasion. The music was also fascinating, alien instruments produced a range of sounds that created beautiful music in the most unexpected ways. She recognised some Earth instruments thrown into the mix and they complemented everything else beautifully.

They spent seemingly hours mingling, with the Doctor providing running commentary on all the different alien species, their home planets and what they were like. Rose was laughing at his quick wit and he stroked her arm with his thumb as they moved around. When a particularly fast song started, the Doctor raised an inviting eyebrow, but she declared that she needed a drink rather than a dance. She headed for the bar while he leaped to the dance floor, content to dance by himself. Rose, sipping her drink, leaned against the bar and watched him with a wide smile.

"Your husband is a good dancer", a man next to him remarked as he picked up two flutes of champagne.

"Oh, he's not my…" She started, but he had already turned away.

"So he is not your husband?" Asked an alien, who had taken the man's place next to her, "you don't mind if I ask him to dance, then?" She had shining blue skin and in place of hair she had rows of flexible looking spikes. She wore a white dress that left little to the imagination and she had a speculative look in her eyes as she watched the Doctor. Rose instantly disliked her.

"He may not be my husband, but he is still mine." Rose said sharply, surprising herself. The alien shrugged and moved away.

Rose looked back at the Doctor just as the final notes of the song faded away. It was replaced by a slow ballad and the Doctor beckoned to her. She left her glass on the bar and then made her way to him.

"Will you dance with me?" He asked, offering his hand to her.

"But I don't know any of the steps", she said regretfully.

"I'll show you", he said taking her hand, "it's like waltz, but instead of counting to three you count to five."

He led her towards the middle of the dance floor and then pulled her close to him. He listened to the music for few moments and then counted her in. She stumbled a little at first, stepped on his toes a couple of times, but then she started to get the hang of the dancing. The Doctor was an excellent leader and she surrendered herself to him, trusting him to guide her steps. They swayed to the music, smiling at each other, the rest of the world forgotten. Rose found that with her Doctor, she could dance after all.


	9. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who is still not mine.
> 
> Features Rose with the 9th Doctor.

Nightmares

Rose woke up screaming. She jolted up and for a moment she had no idea where she was. Panicked glances around the room revealed that she was in her room in the TARDIS. She switched on the reading light with trembling fingers and sat on her bed, clutching her duvet. She was still trying to calm her breathing when she heard the sound of running footsteps. The Doctor appeared at the doorway, barefoot and wearing his t-shirt inside out. He looked frantically around the room, trying to locate the source of Rose's obvious terror.

"Are you okay? What happened?" The Doctor strode to the bed and took in her tousled hair and wide eyes.

"It's nothing really, just a nightmare", she said, still uneasy. "Sorry I woke you up." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, despite the warm duvet.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the Doctor asked as he sat on the bed. Rose made room for him, so he scooted closer and pulled her into a hug. Rose eased into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder.

"It's silly, really", she said, running her fingers through her hair. "I dreamt I was in an alien planet, completely lost. I was trying to find you, I looked everywhere for you. Then I heard the TARDIS engine in the distance and I ran and ran, but I was too late. By the time I got there, you were already gone. Then I suddenly could no longer understand what anyone was saying because the TARDIS had stopped translating in my head. I realised that you were gone and that's when I woke up." Rose looked slightly embarrassed by her nightmare.

"Oh Rose", the Doctor whispered, stroking her hair, "I hope you know I would never leave without you. I will never abandon you." He looked at her, eyes filled with worry.

"I do", she assured him, "I really do. Like I said, it was just a silly nightmare." She stifled a yawn.

"You should try to get back to sleep for a few hours", the Doctor said. "You will feel much better in the morning." He moved to get up, but Rose stopped him.

"Would you stay with me, please?" She asked. "I'm afraid that if I fall asleep alone, the nightmare will continue." She suddenly seemed so very young to him.

"Of course", he said and laid down next to her, "I'll guard your sleep." Rose squeezed his hand gratefully and settled down next to him. She closed her eyes and was soon breathing steadily.

The Doctor watched her sleep with a rare look of tenderness. She seemed so peaceful when she slept, so different from the boundlessly energetic girl that travelled with him. When he was certain she was a sleep and dreaming nicer dreams, he moved to get up. His movement caused her to stir in her sleep and roll over, wrapping her arm around the Doctor. He was rather surprised by this, but then pulled her closer so that she was resting flush against his side. Her even breathing relaxed him and soon he had drifted off to a calm sleep that was filled with dreams of a beautiful blond girl.


	10. Glimpses of the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of Doctor Who. I'd like to, though.
> 
> Features Rose and the 10th Doctor.

Glimpses of the Future

Rose was wandering down a busy alleyway on the third moon of the planet Derian. She glanced over her shoulder, but the Doctor was still immersed in a conversation with a trader they had met. They had been arguing about the metaphysical properties of the Time Vortex for about an hour and Rose was bored. She had eventually got tired of not understanding a word that was being said and the Doctor had barely noticed when she said she would go for a walk. As long as she stayed close, surely the Doctor would not mind her doing some exploring by herself. She knew the way back to the TARDIS and the Doctor had given her some of the local currency, in case she wanted to buy something.

She spotted a little booth with heavy red velvet curtains and all sorts of astrological models hanging on both sides of the entrance. The sign by the door read: "Palms read, cards consulted, pasts, presents and futures explained." Rose was amused by this, although there was no reason why such pretenders should be restricted to Earth alone. She was about to walk straight past the booth, when a hand beckoned from within and she heard a voice call out:

"Rose Tyler, come in and I will show you your future!" Rose gasped and turned back toward the booth. She saw a beautiful young woman standing on the doorway, motioning her to come closer. The woman had glossy black hair and black eyes, but from her elongated fingers and flattened ears Rose guessed that she was not completely human. Intrigued, she walked towards the booth.

"How did you know my name?" She asked the woman.

"You and all the people who pass think I am a fake", the woman replied, "but I have the gift and sometimes I can show people their futures. Come in if you wish to see yours." The fortune teller moved back from the doorway and on an impulse, Rose followed.

The booth smelled strongly of incense and dried herbs and it was lit entirely by candles. To one side was a small table with two chairs and that was where the woman was waiting for her. She held out a chair for Rose, who sat down cautiously, and then placed a battered metal bowl on the table. The bowl was half full with cloudy liquid, to which the woman added couple of drops of what looked like black ink. She sat opposite Rose and motioned towards the bowl.

"Look deep within the liquid", she said, "and you will see what the future has in store for you."

Rose leaned closer, sceptical, but strangely curious. The ink was swirling around the bowl without any stirring and Rose stared deep into the strange patterns that were being created. She did not really believe she would see anything and therefore it took her by surprise when the liquid cleared into a sharp picture. Rose gasped as she saw before her a vision of a newborn baby boy, spitting image of her, except for the tuft of dark brown hair and familiar brown eyes. It was clear that he had inherited his father's sharp eyes and wild hair. Rose had to blink back the tears as she marvelled how beautiful her son was.

After a while, the picture faded into the swirling liquid and the fortune teller leaned back. "That is all I have strength for", she said, sounding exhausted. Rose nodded mutely, left couple of coins on the table and stumbled out. As she stood blinking in the daylight, she put her hand on her flat stomach and tried to imagine carrying a baby within her. More than that, she tried to picture herself carrying the Doctor's son, their best features crystalised in their beloved child. Rose was utterly unprepared for the range of emotions that flooded her heart. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She had never really considered becoming a mother, but now she could not wait to meet her son.

In the meanwhile, the Doctor had finished the philosophical debate and was looking for Rose. He knew she would not have gone far and this was confirmed when he saw her step out of a fortune teller's booth. He was about a call out something witty about her and believing in horoscopes, when he saw that she was white as a sheet and holding her stomach. He immediately rushed to her and gently turned her to face him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, clearly concerned. "Are you in pain?" He was bewildered to see that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears and utterly wild, with terror and wonder shining from them in equal measures. She choked back a sob and a tear rolled down her cheek. This made him even more confused, because she did not appear sad but rather both happy and astonished.

"I'm fine", she said finally, blinking at him like she was coming out of a trance. "I'm a little dizzy, though. Perhaps I should go lie down?" She took an unsteady step in the direction where the TARDIS was parked.

"Hold on, hold on", he stopped her. "Let me help you." He wrapped his arm around her and started steering her back to the TARDIS. Rose leaned on him, grateful for the support.

#####

Some time later, the Doctor was striding through the alleys with a determined expression on his face. He had left Rose in the TARDIS, clearly shaken by something, and now he was headed straight for the alley they had been earlier. He waved briefly at his debate partner as he passed and walked into the fortune teller's booth without slowing down. She looked surprised when he barged in, but there was a flicker of recognition in her eyes.

"I don't know who you are", the Doctor started, now angry, "but I want to you to tell me exactly what you did to Rose. She was barely able to talk when she came out of this booth."

"I will not tell you what passed between I and your friend", the woman said and held up her hand before the Doctor could interrupt her, "but I will show you." She gestured towards the chair opposite her and the pulled out of her pocket a small vial of ink.

"Very well", the Doctor said as he sat down, "but this better not be a trick." He was still glaring at the fortune teller suspiciously.

"No trick, I swear", she assured him, while adding some drops of ink into the murky water. "Now look deep into the bowl and I will show you Rose Tyler's future." The Doctor glanced at her sharply, but then did as he was told and bowed his head over the bowl.

The picture emerged from the swirling ink quicker for him than for Rose and he gasped just as she had done. He saw the same imagine of a baby boy, half human and half Time Lord. There was no question that the child had his eyes, but he also looked just like Rose. As he stared at his son in wordless wonder, he knew that it was not just Rose's future he was looking at, it was their future together. Some day in their future, they would be not just friends or even lovers, but also a real family.


	11. Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer. I don't own Doctor Who.
> 
> Takes place during 'Journey's End' and features Rose with the 10th Doctor, the Meta-crisis Doctor and Jack.

Closure

The TARDIS was steering the Earth back to its place in the solar system and the control room was filled with happy faces and relieved laughter. When the planet settled to its familiar orbit, everyone let go of the controls and leaped to hug one another. When Jack was finally able to extract himself from Donna's arms, Rose pulled him to one side. Around the console, the others were chatting happily, although the Doctors were standing to one side discreetly listening to Rose and Jack.

"I can't believe it's you, Jack." Rose said, grinning.

"Well you know me", the Captain said with his trademark grin, "I'm not that easy to get rid off."

"But the Doctor said that the Daleks", she hesitated, as if afraid to say it out loud, "that you were exterminated." In her eyes he could see how much it still hurt her to think that he had died.

"You brought me back to life." Jack said simply. "The Doctor explained how you absorbed the Time Vortex to save him. As a side effect, you made me immortal." He watched her eyes widen at this, even though he was merely confirming what she had quietly speculated.

"Are you angry with me?" She asked, suddenly worried. "I mean, do you wish I hadn't done that?" Jack's expression grew sad as his eyes showed how much he had matured and aged since they had last seen each other.

"No", he said finally. "I have made myself a home with Torchwood in Cardiff and I love my team. You and the Doctor showed me a better way of living and no matter how hard it is to watch people grow old and die around me, saving people from alien threats and occasionally from themselves is worth it all." He smiled sadly and brushed his fingers gently along Rose's jaw line.

Rose smiled a little as Jack's words eased her guilty conscience. She watched his handsome face and was interested to find that while she still loved Jack as a dear friend, she was no longer infatuated with him like she had been when they had travelled together. She was therefore surprised when Jack leaned closer, clearly planning to kiss her. Behind them, the Doctors frowned in unison.

"I can't", Rose said and placed hand against Jack's chest. "The Doctor…" She started and then trailed off. The Doctors glanced at each other, clearly pleased.

"It's not that kind of kiss", Jack said, smiling gently. "I know to whom your heart belongs." This time when he leaned in she did not resist and they shared a soft kiss.

"Rose Tyler", he said cupping her face, "you were so worth it. You were so worth is all." He stroked her cheek one more time and then with a regretful smile slowly walked to join Martha and Mickey by the console.

Rose turned to see the Doctors watching her. The three shared a private smile, knowing that Rose and Jack had both finally found the closure they needed.


	12. Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. It's on my wishlist, though.
> 
> Features Rose with the 10th Doctor.

Calm

The air was filled with the noise of blaring warning sirens as the spaceship shuddered and groaned. People were running along the corridors screaming, which was only making the panic worse. Against the flow of people, Rose was desperately trying to make her way to the engine room. Behind her, a woman screamed as part of the ceiling collapsed and her legs were trapped under super-heated steel chunks. The way the spaceship kept lurching, it would soon plummet to the planet below and crash into the human space settlement.

When Rose finally reached her destination, she found the Doctor rushing between work stations and consoles, desperately trying to keep the ship in flight. He had a panicked expression on his face as he frantically tapped the instruments and peered at the monitors to see if anything was working.

"Doctor", she shouted over the whine of the engines, "I've got the codes!" The Doctor wheeled around and ran to the central monitors, ready to type.

"The yellow code is alpha, seven, nine, zero, zero, delta, five to the power of 14 and rho. The red code is epsilon, six, two, zero, seven, zero, g, psi, nine, nine. And the blue is omega, one, six to the power of n, sixty-four squared, gamma, omicron." The Doctor finished typing the codes, hit the enter and then had to dodge a shower of sparks shooting from the monitor.

"No, no, don't you dare do that!" The Doctor shouted at the monitor and punched it in anger. "It didn't work, I can't believe it didn't work!" He turned to Rose with naked fear in his eyes.

"Then think of something else to do", Rose said, walking up to the Doctor, "I'm sure you can try something else." But the Doctor ran both hands through his hair, before slumping against the console in clear defeat.

"There is nothing I can do, Rose", he said in horror, "I can't save us this time." Outside the engine room, more people screamed as the ship was slowly pulled apart by the gravity fields. The Doctor shuddered as he listened to the people dying.

Rose moved to stand in front of the Doctor. She cupped his face and forced him to look at her.

"Listen to me Doctor", she said with voice full of determination, "forget the people. Forget everything around us. Just focus on me." He did as he was told and stared at her with frightened eyes.

"Now think, Doctor", she continued, "you are so clever, just think. I know you can get us out of this and you can save the day like you always do. Just think."

The Doctor stared deep into her brown eyes and felt a sense calm wash over her. His world narrowed until it was just her calm eyes and her calm hands on his face. Suddenly hope flickered within him.

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "You are right Rose Tyler! If I am clever I can think of my way out of this mess, and oh I am so clever!" She dropped her hands from his face as he leaped into action. He started running around the consoles, pulling out wires and reattaching them elsewhere with his sonic screwdriver. All the while, he talked.

"If I can re-route the power from here to the main console, override the gravity filters and boost the magnetic extrapolaration, I may be able to by pass the glitch in the system and feel the codes straight into the main frame. I can then reset the co-ordinates, channel the back-up fusion generator into the propulsion engine long enough to give us a jump start. Engage the landing protocols and voila, one saved space ship!" The Doctor leaped over the wires, turned a lever, slammed down a row of controls and used the sonic screwdriver to restart the main console.

The result was immediate as the ship bucked wildly and then stabilised. The engine's whine quieted down and the angle of descent stabilised to a normal landing trajectory. The Doctor let out a whoop of joy and rushed to Rose. He picked her up and spun her in a full circle before hugging her tight to him.

"You did it!" She laughed when he allowed her to breathe once more.

"No, we did it!" He declared, grinning wildly.

#####

Some time later, they were back in the TARDIS and on their way towards the next adventure. Rose was perched on the seats while the Doctor was entering co-ordinates for a planet he wanted to show her. When he was done, he came to sit next to her, looking unusually solemn.

"Rose", he started and took her hand to his. "Thank you. You saved me and everyone else back in that ship." He looked at her with his brown eyes serious.

"You're the one saved us", she said shaking her head, "although I may have helped a little." She flashed him a teasing smile, but he remained serious.

"No, I gave up. I panicked and I couldn't see. You calmed me, focused me, until I found a way out. Thank you for saving my life." He gently kissed her hand, his face full of gratitude.

Rose was strangely moved by his sincerity and she had to blink rapidly to stop herself from crying. Her heart swelled with pride, knowing that she had been able to save her Doctor, even if it was just that once. She smiled at him and he responded with a smile, his eyes full of warmth and affection.

"Must be a new experience for you", she said, teasing him once more, "being saved by a stupid ape."

"Well", he said, grinning and leaning back, "perhaps all humans are not that stupid after all."


	13. Favourite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine.
> 
> This is slightly beyond the time frame I had envisaged for this series, but I wanted it include it anyway because I felt there were some things that needed to be said. Features Rose with the meta-crisis Doctor.

Favourite

Rose and the Doctor were lounging on their bed, settled down for the night, but not yet tired. They had a whole wing of Pete Tyler's mansion for themselves, ostensibly so that Jackie, Pete and Tony could sleep without interruptions. The arrangement suited everyone fine, as it gave both couples additional privacy and also enabled Rose and the Doctor to come and go as they pleased. Their work with Torchwood was more hands on and they were prepared to respond to any emergencies at all hours.

Rose was resting her head against the Doctor's chest and idly playing with the fabric of his pin-striped pyjama bottoms. He had taken to wearing them when he had joined Rose in the alternate universe, claiming they were oddly comfortable, although Rose suspected that he wore them mostly to amuse her. The Doctor, on the other hand, was slowly stroking Rose's hair while recounting the story of how he and Martha had met William Shakespeare.

"…And there she was, with the chance to kiss William Shakespeare of all the people, and she gave it a miss because of his oral hygiene! Poor old Will was heart broken." He finished his tale, grinning.

"That sounds brilliant", Rose agreed laughing. "I wish I'd been there to see it." She tilted her head up so that the Doctor could see her wistful smile.

"You would have made the adventure perfect", the Doctor said, his eyes filling with sadness. "Although Will would have been even more smitten if he'd met you." They exchanged a sad smile, each thinking back to the years they had spent apart.

"Do you ever miss it?" Rose asked carefully. "The travelling, I mean." She had wanted to ask him that for weeks now, but somehow the moment had never been quite right.

The Doctor considered her question a long time, while his hand moved to trace slow circles on Rose's back. His eyes were distant and Rose knew he was going through all those centuries he had spent travelling in time and space, before getting stuck on the slow path with her.

"I can't deny that I miss the thrill of new places and the danger", he eventually admitted, "although it's not as though our life here is boring. What I miss more than the travelling itself is the TARDIS. She was a fateful companion all through the years and I came to consider her more as a person than just a ship." Rose remained silent, still smiling wistfully.

"But no", the Doctor continued, answering the question that had been left unspoken, "I don't regret for a moment that I ended up here with you. The Doctor made an enormous sacrifice and gave me the greatest gift of all, by asking you to heal me. I would choose you over the travelling any day, without hesitation." He leaned down to kiss her gently, as Rose blushed.

"What was your favourite bit about the travelling?" Rose asked, clearly pleased with his answers. She wondered what he would choose as his favourite part.

Much to Rose's surprise, the Doctor did not even pause as he leaned down to kiss her again and then whispered: "You."


	14. The Red Bicycle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who still isn't mine.
> 
> Features Rose with the 9th Doctor.

The Red Bicycle

The Doctor and Rose were sitting on the white cliffs of Dover, their feet dangling over the edge. Rose was somewhat unnerved by the sheer drop to the sea, but the Doctor was holding her hand and that made her feel safe. It was a beautiful day, the sun was bouncing off the chalk cliffs and making the sea sparkle blue and green instead of the usual dull grey. Gulls were circling all around them and a gentle breeze was ruffling Rose's hair. It was unusually warm day for November and they both enjoyed the sun on their face.

The Doctor had brought them to the cliffs after Rose had sat with her father while he lay dying. He figured that Rose might appreciate a beautiful place to help her gather her thoughts. She had cried in his arms for a long while, but now the tears had been dried by the sun and she seemed oddly calm. He could still sense the raw grief in her, but the initial shock seemed to have worn off.

"Doctor", she said quietly, interrupting his thoughts, "how did you know about the red bicycle?" She looked at him with unguarded eyes, seeming so vulnerable that the Doctor's hearts ached. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Back when we first met", he explained, "after I had come to see you at your mum's, I looked you up. I wanted to know what kind of person 'Rose Tyler' was. So I went back to see you when you were growing up. You never noticed daft old me, but I certainly noticed you.

"You wanted that red bicycle so badly. You asked your mum for it, but she couldn't afford it. You were heart broken, but didn't want her to see, because even then you understood that she would have let you have the bicycle if she had been able. You tried to hide your tears, but I saw them. I couldn't bear to see you so disappointed, so I bought you the bicycle. I popped around while you were out and claimed I was from the council. Said it was a raffle and that your mum had won a bicycle for you. She was so chuffed for you." The Doctor smiled at the memory.

"I was over the moon when I found it in my bedroom on Christmas Day morning", Rose smiled. She leaned closer to the Doctor and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for making me the happiest little girl in London."

"It was nothing really", the Doctor said while his ears turned red. "But I'm hoping you're not unhappy now either." He added.

"No Doctor", she smiled. "Now I'm the happiest and the luckiest girl on Earth."


	15. Adrift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine.
> 
> Features Rose with the 10th Doctor

Adrift

Sometimes, there were battles that even the Doctor could not win. The Doctor and Rose had intercepted a distress call and traced it to its source, only to watch the Selian civilization and their planet burn. There was nothing they could have done, but that was a poor consolation as they watched the destruction in mute horror. The Doctor was particularly distressed by it all because the Selians had been a peaceful race, who did not deserve such a fate.

Now the TARDIS was drifting through the Time Vortex and the Doctor was slumped on the seats in the control room. His eyes were filled with sadness and for once he looked his considerable age. His slim frame was bent, as if he carried a huge load on his shoulders. He had not said a word since they had closed the TARDIS doors and set an alternate course.

Rose was concerned about the depth of his grief. The extinction appeared to have affected him particularly deeply, even though she had got the impression that he had never had many dealings with the Selians. Rose was at a loss how to cheer him up, although she knew better than to attempt making light-hearted conversation. After hesitating for a moment or two, she sat down next to him and took his hand, letting him know that she was there for him if he needed her. He looked at her with an expression of exhaustion on his face.

"Sometimes I get so tired", he whispered. "Like the pain and the destruction and the sadness just gets too much to bear. Then I think about how all I can do is set the TARDIS on a new course and keep travelling towards the next loss. Sometimes I get so tired of the travelling and all I want to do is go home. Everyone else has some place and some people to return to, except for me. My home is gone, my people dead, and I'm left travelling alone." His desolate sigh alone was enough to break Rose's heart.

"You've got me, though", Rose said, squeezing his hand gently. "I could be your home, if you wanted to?" She regarded him with uncertainty.

"Oh Rose", he said, smiling tiredly, "without you I would be adrift. I would simply be a man in a blue box wandering through time and space, with no point or purpose." He ran his free hand through is hair and then over his eyes, as if trying to brush away the exhaustion.

"I'll be with you always, Doctor", Rose promised. "I will gladly be your home." She smiled and the Doctor offer a weak smile in return. She got up and tugged his hand.

"Come on", she said, "I think you need a good night's sleep". The Doctor pushed himself up from the seat and then followed her without arguments. Rose led him to his room, smiled at him and turned to leave, when he stopped her.

"Would you stay with me, please?" He asked. "I don't think I can bear to be alone tonight." He looked so fragile that Rose wanted to hug him and never let go.

"Of course", she said, taking his hand again and steering him towards the bed.

The Doctor took off his shoes and his suit jacket and then lay on the bed. Rose, too, discarded her shoes and her coat and scooted next to the Doctor. He rolled to his side, facing her, and she wrapped an arm around his waist. His hand found her free one and pulled it to him so that her hand ended up between his cheek and the pillow. He gave a deep sigh and then closed his eyes.

Rose stayed awake for hours, stroking his cheek gently with her thumb and watching how sleep slowly smoothed the lines of sadness from his face. She felt privileged to have been allowed to witness him at his weakest, but also that she was able to offer him comfort like he did to her. Eventually sleep claimed her as well, while the TARDIS drifted calmly through time and space.


	16. Like the Wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine.
> 
> Features Rose with the 10th Doctor

Like the Wind

It was June 1892 and Rose and the Doctor were having a picnic in Richmond Park, in London. It was a sunny Saturday and seemingly half of London was out enjoying the weather in the popular park. They were not the only ones with blankets and baskets of food, but without a doubt they had made the longest journey to get there. Rose was dressed in a lilac sundress of the period, while the Doctor was sticking to his usual pin-stripe suit.

Rose had served them both dainty cucumber sandwiches and then scones with clotted cream and jam. They had also enjoyed tea from an old porcelain set Rose had found in a cupboard in TARDIS's spacious kitchen. The Doctor was pouring them both home made lemonade, while being in the middle of an amusing anecdote, when he realised Rose was not listening. He followed her wistful gaze and saw that she was looking at a young child out with her chubby Shetland pony. The pony was not particularly interested in walking around the park and it paused every couple of steps to graze on the lush grass. The child was less than impressed with the pony, but her will alone was not enough to move the greedy animal.

"Let me guess", the Doctor said, drawing her out of her reverie, "you wanted to have a pony when you were that age?" Rose smiled, still looking at the child and her pony, and nodded.

"I think most girls want to have a pony at some point or another", she then said, turning to the Doctor, "myself included. I had enough lessons to learn how to handle a horse, but found that I shared no innate bond with them. I also realised that I was never going to have a pony, or a horse, so I sort of grew out of that phase pretty quickly. But every now and then I think it would be nice, you know…" She trailed off, shrugging.

"You'd like to get on a horse again?" The Doctor asked. She nodded.

"Well then", the Doctor exclaimed, getting up and knocking over his lemonade in the process, "I know just the place!" He hastily cleared up the picnic and pulled bemused Rose back into the TARDIS.

Once inside, he quickly set their course and then took her to one of the many wardrobes inside the spaceship. From deep within one drawer, he pulled a strange looking outfit, complete with a head scarf and some leather slippers.

"Put those on", he said, extracting an intricately decorated caftan and an accompanying belt from the pile, "where we are going, you will need to blend in a little." Once she had changed from the sundress to the caftan, he helped her tie the head scarf on, and showed her how to turn another scarf into loose-fitting trousers to cover her jeans. The slippers were the final touch and then she was ready. While Rose was inspecting herself in the mirror, the Doctor donned a headscarf and some assorted Berber clothing himself, before grinning at Rose through the mirror.

"Do you care to explain where it is that we are going?" Rose inquired, turning to the Doctor. Before he had a chance to reply, the TARDIS shuddered and then lurched, indicating that they had landed. The Doctor's grin widened as he took Rose's hand and half walked, half ran to the door.

As Rose pulled the doors open, she was greeted with a blast of hot, dry air. The sun was beating down from a clear, magnificently blue sky and all she could see was sand dunes stretching before her. The Doctor slipped past her and looked around.

"Brilliant", he concluded, "wait here. I won't be a long." To Rose's astonishment, he sprinted up the nearest dune and disappeared behind it. She called after him, but heard no response. She huffed a little, but then decided that she might as well spend the time working on her tan. She sat down and rested her back against the TARDIS, turning her face to the sun and closing her eyes.

She must have fallen asleep, for when Rose next opened her eyes, she saw the Doctor leaning over her, looking amused. She rubbed her eyes and slowly got up. Once the sun was no longer blinding her, she saw that the Doctor was not alone. He was holding onto the long reins of two of the most beautiful horses Rose had ever seen. She recognised them as Arabians, but they were the most sublime specimens of the breed. Their elegant heads were supported by sculpted, arching necks and their manes fell down to their knees. They had bright eyes and wide, flaring nostrils. Their full tails were held up in a manner particular to the breed. One was the purest of white, with a pink mark on the muzzle, while the other one was a deep chestnut colour, with darker socks and mane. They each wore a tasselled bridle and an elegant leather saddles. They seemed to be brimming with energy and were constantly pawing at the sand.

"Are you ready to go for a ride, then?" The Doctor asked, grinning at her wide eyes.

"With those?" She asked, pointing at the horses, and then felt rather stupid. "I mean, they are Arabians and umm, they look kinda wild." She was suddenly very uncertain about her rusty riding skills.

"Come on, it will fine! Let me help you." The Doctor brought the white horse closer, checked the saddle and then held the horse still while Rose pulled herself to the saddle, feeling only slightly more graceful than a sack of potatoes.

"Now, don't hold the reins too tight, these are very sensitive horses." The Doctor advised her as he quickly hopped onto the saddle of the chestnut horse. Rose adjusted her stirrups and was suddenly very grateful for the odd saddle, as it had very wide and secure stirrups. The horse underneath her paced impatiently, ready to head out. The Doctor turned his horse and led the way along the corridor of sand dunes. Once the horses were on the move, Rose was beginning to feel more comfortable as she got used to being in the saddle again.

"These horses are _Asil_ ", the Doctor explained as they rose side by side, "the purest of the Arabians. They are part of the Muniqi-strain of Arabians, bred for their speed. As these horses are mares, they are even more precious, as the bloodlines among the Arabians are traced through the maternal line. Even in your time, Rose, these horses are worth a fortune.

"But here and now, they are just two beautiful horses and we are just two travellers under the hot sun. Let us ride like you've never ridden before. Feel the power of the horse underneath you and you will begin to understand why these creatures have been revered over millennia. Let the horses run like the wind, for there may never be a day like this again!"

Rose shivered at the power in the Doctor's voice, and when he urged his horse on, she found herself doing the same. Like coiled springs, the horses leaped forward and soon they were all but flying over the hot sand. As the wind whipped against her face, Rose let out a wild whoop of joy, which only encourage her horse to gallop faster. The Doctor laughed a wild, exuberant laughter and pushed his horse to take the lead. Side by side they raced across the desert, fast like the wind.


End file.
